Today’s haiku refers to the art journaling classes I volunteer-teach to at-risk public school students.

I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be teaching six classrooms of at-risk 4th graders this school year – two in Ontario today, and four in Santa Ana over the next two weeks. My heart is very happy that approximately 200 children will participate in my little program this year. That’s a big jump from the 30 per year that I started with, and is even a big jump from last year’s 115! Woo hoo!

Huge thanks to all who donated to my program for this school year – and for any other school year, for that matter! I appreciate you helping me to bring some creative goodness to children who need it. I’m thankful for the support you’re giving my program and my students. I’ll be sure to post a write-up and some photos from my time in the six different classrooms after I’ve completed my initial visits to the schools and classrooms.

Yep, it’s true. My blog is now three years old! I launched my blog in August of 2010, and have been blogging away ever since. I’ve really enjoyed creating art and craft projects to share with you. I’ve also enjoyed baking up recipes to entice you with, and am happy to have shared some of my other interests and adventures with you as well.

This month’s haiku is a bit different. Instead of me writing the haiku, I’m hoping YOU will. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write a haiku based on the photo above. I took this photo at the Monterey Bay Aquarium last year, and would like to see which words it brings to your mind. I hope you’re ready to compose a haiku, because I’m combining this reader participation haiku with a giveaway!

Wait, what’s a haiku again?*
*

A haiku is a poem with three lines. Each line has a set number of syllables.

Line 1 – 5 syllables
Line 2 – 7 syllables
Line 3 – 5 syllables

Here’s an example:
To write a haiku,
remember five seven five.
I hope you enter!

Giveaway – The Artist’s Way*

To submit your haiku, simply comment on this post and include your haiku. All those who enter will be entered in a giveaway. The winner will receive a softcover copy of the classic book The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron. You may post multiple haikus if you’d like, but only one entry will count per person. The winner will be drawn at random, so don’t be shy or feel like it’s a competition. I’ll announce the winner on my blog on Tuesday, July 16th, so write/comment/enter today! 🙂

Such gritty texture –love the vintage wood and paint.A sign from days past…

Are there any other fans of vintage out there? Do you like things that are worn, chipped, rusted, or otherwise distressed, like I do? I just think there’s something special about these worn looks – a story lingers in imperfect surfaces. I feel that way about wrinkles and scars on bodies, too. They tell part of our story…

I recently took this photo with my iPhone using a macro lens. A macro lens on an iPhone, you say?! Yes! Hubby gave me 3 tiny lenses – that attach to my iPhone – for Christmas. What a treat! I was lucky enough to receive a fish eye lens, a zoom lens, and a combo macro/wide angle lens and have been having fun experimenting with them. I hope to post more photos taken with these lenses in the coming months. They’re available at photojojo.com if you’re interested.

(I’m not affiliated with the company in any way, just a lucky gift recipient.)

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Welcome to my blog!

My name is Melody M. Nuñez - I’m an artist, a writer, and an art teacher. To learn more about me and the book I published - An Altered Existence: Fictitious Stories About Faces from the Past - please view the “About” & "Book" pages…